Latch mechanism



July 12, 1927'.

J. P. TARBOX LATCH MECHANI SM Filed Nov. 14, 1925 4 2 heets-Sheet 1 1 ,y as W fwentor I, JOHN PTARBOX July 12. 1927.

J. P. TARBOX V LATCH MECHANISM Filed Nov 14, 1925 "2 Shouts-Sheet 2 I !!IIrIrlllllllrllllliltlrltll JOHN F? TARBOX Patented July 12,1927.

. UNI-TED} "PATENT OF i 1,635,589 1 CE.

1 JOHN r. rhnnox, or'rnmanntrnra, r nmrsyrvmrs; assrcmon 'ro EDWARD o. BUDD .murncrnnmcco, orrnrmnmnra, rnnnsnvanrn, A consona- Application a november 14,1195. Serial No. am.

' The principal object of my invention isv the embodiment in a latch mechanism adapted to circumventthe' window pane 'of an automobile door, of an interlocking device 4 adapted ,to make. connection between the inside and outside latch operating"v devices without making. aperturesgor recesses in the jamb rail of the'door, as is necessary in a number of such devices which have been proposed. In all of said applications, so far as I am aware, it is necessary to aperture or recess the jamb rail, of the door in order to accommodate the interlocking device.

Such aperturing or-,-recessing, as.the case may be, somewhat weakens the amb rail'of the door and. inany case where, the aperture or'recessis visible from the exterior it detracts .to a degreelfromthe finished appearanceof a high grade 'product. i This is quite as true when theinterlocking device is mounted. on the door postas when it is mounted on the jam-b rail.

My invention will be the more fully un,

derstoodand its advantages more certainly ap reciated from a comprehension ofsthe embodiment which I show in-the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a substantially central horizontal section of an automobile door structure embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a three quarters front perspective view of that section of :the door post opposite the latch mechanism;

Fig. 3is-a three quarters front view of the inside latch operating mechanism; and

Fi 4 is' a corresponding view of' the outside atch operating mechanism in connection with the associatedpartof the-jamb rail of the door.

According to my invention I constitute the glass run channel by means of which"- the' window pane of the /door is slidably mounted on the jamb rail, the interlocking member of the latch mechanism. This I accomplish by mounting the glass run channel in suitable guides w the jamb'rail of the door. This done, I connect the inside and outside latch operat-' ing mechanisms to the vertically r'eciprocable glass run channel in such manner that they partake of its movements in a fashion to operate the latch bolt in relation with its face-of'the door itsel ereby it may be vertically reciprocated along the inner faceof is provided with a pin 29 for a p keeper to effect engagement and disengagement of the latch..

The jamb rail of the door is designated by the numeral 10. It is formed of pressed metal and is of an angular cross section em bodying in itsmid portion a rabbet 11 and at its inner and outer edges, re ectively, an inner flange 12 and an'outer i ange li. The outer flange serves for the connection of the outer panel 14 and with the connected outer panel 14 constitutes the outer over-lap of the door upon the crack of the jamb. The 1ns1de flange 12 serves for the connection of thelocking board 15 and poses not necessary to discuss hen.

lVithin the body of the door is mounted the glass 16' which constitutes the extensible member of the door and is adapted to be ra'isedrand lowered to close and open the window of the door. mounted in a glass run channel 17 which lies over against the inner face of the jamb rail 10. A similar mounting is provided on for further pur- On the jamb rail it is a ,tliisi s-not shown here since it does not enter directly into this invention. Sufiice it to saythat by reason of such mountings the extensible member 16 is substantially of the full width of the door, and has its side edge 18 moving in close proximity to the jamb The inside latch operating device 19 embodies'as 1ts principal element the horizontal .v 'sllidi ng latch bolt 20. This is confined to its ireciprocatory path by means of stamped metal. guides 21 secured" to a base plate 22. The base late 22 in turn is secured either to the loc board 15 orto the inner face of the'jamb rail 10, or to both as may be fpreferred. A vertically extending lever 23 ivoted at 24 to the base plate 22 below the olt20 is provided for 0 rating this bolt fronithe inside of the bod The lever 23 passes through a vertical slot 25 on the inside of latch bolt 20. But engagement with the latch' -bolt is not direct. Such engage ment is made through the bell crank 26 one arm ofwhich 27 engages the bolt at the inner end of the slot 25 and the other arm of which 28 extends toward the jamb rail and urpose presently to ap ear. The lever 23 engages the rear edge 0' the arm' 27 and by hearing upon it. operates the latch bolt 20.

The

wardly of the slot 25 and the aperture 31 latch bolt itself, the lever 23 and the arm 27 aretogether held in projected position by a spring 30 housed withm an a erture 31 in the interior of thebolt 20 and caring at its outer end 32 against the bolt and at its inner end against a tang 34 struck infrom the base plate 22.

- The outside latch operating mechanism- 35 is comprised of the outside operating handle 36, the rotatable spindle 37 with which it is connected, the base plate 38 mounted on the spindle and in'turn mounted u n the jamb rail of the door, and the oscil atable arm 39 connected with the spindle. The base plate 38 has its opposite ends flanged as at 40 and 41, respectively, the flanged end 40 is reversely bent to provide a duplex bearin for the spindle. The flange 41 bears irectly against the inner face of the jamb rail. A biasin spring 42 of light pressure, as compar with the spring 30, is so arranged as to bias the arm 39 normally upward.

Arm 39 of the outside latch mechanism is interlocked with the arm 28 of the inside latch mechanism through the intermediary of the glass run channel 17. This glass run channel is mounted for vertical reciprocation in guides 43 and 44 secured to the inner face of the jamb rail 10 and confining the glass run channel for vertical sliding movement therea ainst in the angle between the main body 0 the rail and the rabbetted portion 11. The outside of the glass run channel has mounted a pin 45 having a pin and slot connection with the arm 39 of the outside latch operating device, while the inside wall of the glass run channel 18 is provided with an inwardly extending arm 46 making a pin and slotconnection with the pin 29 carried by the bell crank arm 28 to hell crank 26.

bell crank 28 also moves the glass run channel 17 in the vertical plane and through it moves the outside operating handle 36, but

' theparts are light and the movement simple,

while the bearing surfaces are very large so that there is no undue friction or wear of the parts. Desiring to open the door from theoutside one'but grasps the handle 36 and rotates it counter clock-wise a portion of a turn whereupon the glass run channel 17 is moved vertically and through such engagement moves the arm 28 and bell crank 26 counter clock-wise to efiect withdrawal of bolt 20 through engagement of slot 27,

but in this case the inner arm 23 is not 48. Or else one may 0 crate either the inside or the outside late to withdraw the bolt 20, then push the door operating devices closed and afterwardrelease the operating devices to allow the bolt behind the keeper.

It will be observed that except for the projection of the sliding bolt -19 through the to slide into place web of the jamb rail, the jamb rail has not been pierced in any way nor has its exterior been given any irregularity of form.

It is strong. It is neat. n accomplishing this, use has been made of an element, the glass run channel, already and certainly present in many structures. To constitute it an interlockin 'device it has been but necessary to provide it with suitable guides. Any number of these in any suitable location may be provided. The may, moreover, be of any suitable form. The glass run channel is light, yet still by reason of its channel form, and mounted in the angle of the rabbet its bearing surfaces are extensive and greatly elongated whereby it transmits its interlocking movements without bias and without undue friction; yet further, by very reason of the use of this channel to serve this function, the side edge of the glass is retained in the very closest proximity to the inner face of the j amb rail, 1t being unnecessary to interpose between it and this face any other member.

The modifications of my invention without departing from its generic nature may be but few but these few I deem should unfailin ly fall within the scope of the attnche claims.

What I claim is:

1. In combination with an automobile door of the type adapted to have an extcn-' sible member of substantially the full width of the door arranged for slidable movement therein with its side edge in close proximity to the jamb face of the door, inside and outside latch operating devices on opposite sides of the projected path of movement of said extensible member, and an interlockin device extending around the side edge 0 said extensible portion and partak ng of a movement in the vertical function.

2. In combination with an automobile door of the type adapted to have an extensible member of substantially the full width plane in its interlocking of the door slidable therein with its side edge in close proximity to the jamb face of the door, inside and outside latch operating devices on opposite sides of the projected path of movement of said extensible member, and an interlocking device extending around the side edge of said extensible portion and partaking of a vertical sliding movement its interlocking function.

3. In combination with an automobile door of the type adapted to have an extensible member of substantially'the full width of the door slidable therein with its side edge in close proximity to the jamb face of the door, a vertically reciprocable run channel for the, extensible member, and inside and outside latch operating devices on opposite sides of the projected path of movement ofsaid extensible member, said run channel constituting an interlocking device between the outside and inside operating device. 4. In combination with an automobile door of the type adapted to have an extensible member of substantially the full width of the door slidable therein with its side edge in close proximity to the jamb face of the door, inside and outside latch operating devices on opposite sides of the projected path of 'movementof said extensible member, and

an interlocking device extending around the side edge of said extensible portlon and partaking of a movement in the vertical plane, in its interlocking function, said interlocking device comprising 'a member of thin flat form in the region where it traverses the projected path of movement of the extenthe door, inside and outside latch operatln devices on opposite sides of the projected path of movement of said extensible member, and an interlocking device extending around the side edge of said extensible portion and partaking of a movement in the vertical plane in its interlocking function, said interlocking device comprising a member sliding vertically between the side edge of the extensible portion and the jamb face of the door vand efiecting the interlocking connection with the latch operating devices throughpin and slot connections.

6. In combination with an automobiledoor of the type adapted to have an exten-- sible member of substantially the full width of the door slidable therein with its side ed e i in close proximity to the jamb face oft 0 door inside and outside latch operating devices on opposite sides of theprojected path of movement of the extensible member, and

an interlocking device extendin around the side edge of said extensible portion and artaking of a movement in the vertical p ane in its interlo ckin function, said interlocking device comprlsing a relatively thin flat a member interposed between the edge of theextensible member and the. inner plane of the jamb rail of the door.

7. In combination with anautomobile door of the type adapted to have an extensible member of substantially the full width of the door slidable therein, a vertically reciprocable run channel for the extensible member, and a latch mechanism, said latch mechanism comprising inside an'd-mll iide latch operatingdevices arranged on opposite sides'o the projected path of movement of saidextensib e member and operatively connected with said run channel, whereby when either of said latch operating devices is actuated the run channel is rec1procated..

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

. JOHN P. TARBOX. 

